Fast Forward with PPL’s Paul Williams

In MCF’s latest Fast Forward podcast, MCF President Trista Harris sits down for a wide-ranging talk with Paul Williams, president and CEO of Project for Pride in Living.

Topics they discuss include:

• The importance of being rooted in community and using it as an asset.
• The need for scale to make a meaningful impact.
• Paul’s wish for philanthropy to create greater leverage with government.

Listen to the podcast now! And while you’re at it, be sure to check out other recent episodes like:

• MCF Director of Public Policy and Communications Bob Tracy talking with George Cheung of the Joyce Foundation about the foundation’s democracy strategy and civic engagement grantmaking.
• Trista’s interview with Jenny Harms of the National Council on Foundations about how COF is working to infuse regional foundations with new ideas from across the country.

Subscribe to Fast Forward on iTunes or on the podcast player of your choice to always get the latest episodes as we publish them.

Fast Forward with COF’s Jenny Harms

In this month’s episode of our Fast Forward podcast, our president Trista Harris speaks with Jenny Harms, network manager for the Midwest at the national Council on Foundations!

They discuss the benefits of infusing regional foundations like MCF with ideas from across the country, and let MCF members know what Jenny will be up to in the coming months and how to get in touch.

We’re looking forward to collaborating with Jenny and COF on many projects in the coming months! Listen to Trista’s interview with her now, and don’t forget to subscribe to Fast Forward to get every episode delivered to you as we publish them.

 

Mary Jane Melendez on Best Practices in Corporate Philanthropy

The latest episode of Fast Forward features Mary Jane Melendez, now executive director of the General Mills Foundation!

She speaks to MCF President Trista Harris about best practices in corporate philanthropy that the General Mills Foundation is putting to good use, and about the foundation’s partnership with Hunger-Free Minnesota to support our state’s hunger-relief programs.

Hear from Melendez on:

• How the foundation leverages General Mills employees who live in the communities the foundation serves.
• The company’s move from traditional volunteerism to leveraging the skills and experiences of its employees.
• The history of the Box Tops for Education program and what makes it such a big success.
• What to look for in a successful partnership like the one the foundation has formed with Hunger-Free Minnesota.

Listen to the podcast online now, and subscribe to it through iTunes!

Fast Forward: Chris Cardona on Accessible Philanthropy

The newest episode of MCF’s Fast Forward podcast featuring big thinkers in philanthropy is up!

In this episode, Alfonso Wenker sits down with Chris Cardona of TCC Group. They kick off their discussion with the three levels of accessible philanthropy Chris has seen grantmakers employ:

1. Consult stakeholders about their decisions
2. Integrate these communities into the decision-making process
3. Get community involvement in the initial design process

Chris Cardona

The two go on to discuss the best entry point into this culture of accessibility, getting buy-in from leadership, and why equity and inclusion are such important concepts in discussions about diversity.

Listen to the podcast now! Then subscribe on iTunes or plug the RSS feed into the program of your choice.

Grantmakers, if you like what you hear, be sure to join us October 31 for Today’s Realities | Tomorrow’s Opportunities, MCF’s annual conference. Chris Cardona is one of the several prominent local and national speakers you’ll interact with throughout the day!

Subscribe to Fast Forward on iTunes

Full, in-depth interviews with big thinkers in philanthropy are now available on the Fast Forward podcast! Subscribe through iTunes or plug the RSS feed into the podcast subscription software of your choosing.

• Interested in hearing from Trish Tchume of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network on the work she’s done with Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy to address power dynamics in the field? Have a listen.
• Want to hear from Phil Buchanan of the Center for Effective Philanthropy on the tools grantmakers can use to build and maintain effective practices? Now you can!
• Ready to know more about the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and its approach to disaster relief? Listen to Mark Lindberg on the foundation’s focus on lower-attention events and its belief in the power of local communities to self-organize.

Once you’re done listening, don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll get every episode as they publish! Next month you’ll hear from Mary Jane Melendez of General Mills Foundation.

Fast Forward: Trish Tchume’s Five Pillars of Leadership Development

Don’t miss episode four of Fast Forward, MCF’s series of conversations with big thinkers in philanthropy!

This month features Trish Tchume, executive director of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), who was in town for the YNPN National Conference. She talked to our president Trista Harris about the work YNPN has done with Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) around the power dynamics in philanthropy, and Trish’s experience in how to develop young leaders effectively.

In this three minute clip, Trish elaborates on the five pillars of leadership development she’s seen young people ask for time and time again (hint: it does not involve credentialing). See how YNPN is working to offer the help emerging professionals fulfill these needs, and think about how you can too:

Then head over to our website to read the interview for more on the work with EPIP!

Fast Forward: Gary Cunningham

The third episode of Fast Forward, MCF’s series of conversations with philanthropy’s big thinkers, is out now!

This time, MCF President Trista Harris sits down with Gary Cunningham, vice president of programs for Northwest Area Foundation.

Gary discusses his recent article The Urgency of Now: Foundations’ Role in Ending Racial Inequity and what other grantmakers can take from it. Watch the video below:

In the extended video captured in our transcript, Gary also talks about his role in the African American Leadership Forum and the importance of communities organizing and speaking on their own behalf with a unified voice. Read the transcript on our website.

Catch the whole series on the Fast Forward homepage, and stay tuned for next month, featuring Trish Tchume of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network!

Fast Forward: Phil Buchanan on Effective Practice in Philanthropy

The newest edition of MCF’s Fast Forward series is out!

In this episode, our president Trista Harris speaks with Phil Buchanan, president of The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). CEP is a nonprofit that helps foundations assess and improve their effectiveness and performance. Phil identifies the four components to effective practice as:

• Clear goals
• Coherent strategies
• Disciplined implementation
• Relevant performance indicators

Phil and Trista discuss the challenges foundations face in receiving honest feedback, tools CEP has developed to address those challenges, and his advice to foundations interested in becoming more effective organizations:

Read the transcript of the interview on our website, then stop by the Fast Forward main page to catch last month’s interview with Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s Mark Lindberg if you missed it!